Trends and Prospects for Cassava in India. Working Paper No. 1

摘要

The first in a series of case studies assessing future demand for cassava, the paper examines the status of cassava production and use in India and develops supply and demand projections for the years 1990 and 2000. Discussed in turn are: trends in area under cultivation, yield per hectare, and overall production; cassava utilization and prices; potential demand for livestock feed; the effect of new technology on yield; and the substitutability of cassava in production and utilization. It is found that potential demand for cassava in 2000 could be about 1.3 million tons above supply if its use in cattle feed is found to be economically feasible. With only limited scope for increasing the area under cassava cultivation, the projected gap between supply and demand can only be bridged by increased use of high-yielding varieties. The adoption of cassava as cattle feed will also require farmer incentives to adopt new technologies, the development of suitable processing facilities, and mechanisms to link cultivators and feed manufacturers. Includes a 4-page bibliography.